Missouri court upholds $2 billion verdict against Johnson & Johnson over asbestos in baby powder News
© WikiMedia (Austin Kirk)
Missouri court upholds $2 billion verdict against Johnson & Johnson over asbestos in baby powder

The Missouri Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld upheld a $2.1 billion verdict against Johnson & Johnson, finding the company knew there was asbestos in their baby powder.

The plaintiff, a woman with ovarian cancer, blamed the asbestos in Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based products for her illness. She is one of thousands to file lawsuits against the company, but the damages awarded to her are almost half the $4.4 billion awarded in 2018 to 22 people over a similar complaint.

While Johnson & Johnson has agreed to suspend sales of talcum powder in North America, they will continue to market the product in every other country. The appeals court’s judgment stated that it was “impossible to place monetary value on the … anguish plaintiffs suffered because of their injury caused by the defendants.”

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